Support and insulator for suspended conductors



(No Model.)

2 Sheets Sheet 1. C. J. VAN DEPOELE.

SUPPORT AND INSULATOR FOR SUSPENDED OONDUGTORS.

No. 437,533. Patented Sept. 30, 1890.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. J. VAN DEPOELE. SUPPORT AND INSULATOR FOR SUSPENDED OONDUGTORS.

No. 487,533. Patented Sept. 30, 1890.

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V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI E.

CHARLES J. VAN DEPOELE, or LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

SUPPORT AND INSULATOR FOR SUSPENDED CONDUCTORS...

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,533, datedSeptember 30, 1890.

Application filed April 8, 1890. Serial No. 346,394. (No model.) I I Toall whom it may concern: 7

- Be it known that I, CHARLES J. VAN DE- POELE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSupports and Insulators for Suspended Conductors, of which the followingis a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, andto the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to improvements in means for insulating and forsustaining the bare aerial conductors employed to convey thesupply-current to electric railways of the type operating on what isknown as the suspended-conductor system.

The invention comprises improvements upon the insulating devices shownin Letters Patent No. 393,317, dated November 20, 1888, and No. 396,312,dated January 15, 1889, together with sundry details of construction andarrangement, which will be fully hereinafter described, and illustratedin the accompanying drawings.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of an insulating archedsuspender. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the. insulatingarched suspender shown in Fig. 1. Fig.

3 is an end view of the insulating arched suspender. Fig. 4 is a view inelevation, on a smaller scale, showing the means for connecting andinsulating the arched suspenders carrying supply-conductors of oppositepolarity. Fig. 5 is a view in perspective showing a sus pendedconductor, means for connecting the same to its support, and portions ofthe crosswire by which the same is sustained in position. Fig. 6 is anenlarged view of a slightly different form of conductor-supportingdevice. Fig. 7 is a sectional end view of the arrangement shown in Fig.6. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail of the cross-wire insulating and tensiondevices.

. claimed in my said Letters Patent No. 393,317,

dated November 20, 1888, and No. 396,312, dated January 15,1889. WViththe present form of construction, however, an improved insulation issecured, which, in connection central portion with an extended part,form-' ing an inverted cup 0, the walls of which should have sufficientstructural strength to form, with the arms I) b of the suspender, a

strong arch capable of withstanding the pull of the cross-wires. The cup0 is also desirably provided with an extended lower portion or flangefor deflecting water.

The conductor A may be supported by any of the devices shown anddescribed in'my prior patents; but I find that a thin metallic clip a,passing around the exterior of the conductor, may be so arranged as toform an exceedingly strong, durable, and efficient support, which willbe at the same time economical and inconspicuous.

The clip a is secured to a piece D, which I may have an extended flanged, and is furthermore provided with a shank E, which may bescrew-threaded or not, as desired. The shank E is adapted to be screwedinto or otherwise secured to a nut e, and the nut e is embedded in anaccurately-formed insulator F, which is preferably of glass, porcelain,8o

lava, or some other hard and durable insulatin g materialinclosed in ametal envelope spun over or otherwise attached to the insulating body.

The insulator F, when constructed of the hard brittle insulationmentioned, would be easily broken were the screw f driven in tootightly, and therefore, in order to utilize material having very highinsulating capacity and without fear of breaking the same, I put 0around the insulator F a thin band or coating of ductile metalsuch asbrass-which should be spun or otherwise fitted into the groove ordepression f. The insulator F fits within the inverted metal cup 0 ofthe arched 5 metal envelope being pressed in the recess in theinsulator. This will allow it to turn around in the cup and at the sametime secure strength-and durability in the insulator. In this manner avery high degree of insu- The arched sus- 5 5 lation is permanentlysecured bet Ween the conductor-support and the arched suspender. Thedownwardly-projecting portion of the insulator F should also have anextended edge'or flange f for the purpose of deflecting moisture andpreventing the same from dripping upon the co'nductor-supportingdevices.

The arched suspender B may with advantage be so constructed that theside arms I) b are formed of separated ribs united by metal-connectingtheir upper edges. with this arrangement the said side arms are extended at their lower extremities, so as to form separate lugs, betweenwhich is placed an insulatingavasher G of glass, porcelain, or some goodinsulating material not affected by the weather. When in position, thecross-wires ordinarily used are secured to the insulators G.

In manyinstances it is desirable to employ a double set of suspendedconductorsin close proximity, and Where this is required the innerextremities of the suspending device B are mechanically connected byastrong insulating-link H, which may be especially made or made out ofinsulated wire, the wire giving the necessary tensile strength and theinsulation thereon serving to effectually separate the conductors shouldthere be any leak between them and their support.

Various forms of insulating material might be employed in thisconnection, but on account of their strength and small cost I find itparticularly desirable to use a strong insulating composition G at theextremities of the arches, and, moreover, it is frequently desirable tomake these connections after the conductors have been suspended at ornear their working positions, and, therefore, I find a strong link ofWell-insulated conductor to be admirably suited to the purpose, it beingfurther apparent that the use of a ductile wire for this purposedecreases the difficultyof making a suitable connection, when, as isfrequently the case, these connections have to be made or changed afterthe conductors have been suspended in Working positions. An additionalform of insulation may also be employed in the cross-Wire between thearched suspender or suspenders and the poles or other support, and thisI construct from a strip or piece of any suitable insulating material,such, for ex ample, as wood.

As indicated in Figs. 5 and 8, a section of wood or other stronginsulating material, say, between one and two feet in length and an inchor two in diameter, is provided at each end with a metal ferrule 11,which is strongly attached thereto, as by transverse rivets, and thisinsulator is connected to the cross-wire so as to make an effectivebreak therein, and thereby to prevent the grounding of the circuits incase of a leak during Wet weather.

As a means of attaching the conductors to their supports and therebysustaining them in working position, I employ suspenders or clips formedof thin metal plates or, which are preferably of tempered copper orphosphorbronze, since such a material will not wear rapidly under thefriction of the passing cone edges of said clip in a gradual mannerinstead of striking them full in the first instance, as this would jarthe contact device downwardand result in a temporary separation and aheavy spark between the traveling contact and the conductor, or thatpart of the con ductor surrounded by the clip. By sloping theextremities of the clip this difficulty is. avoided, and, if desired,the edges of theclip. may be beveled to an extreme thinness.

As indicated in Fig. 6, a single clip is employed, whereas in Fig. 5twosuch are seen,

one at each extremity of an extended ear J, to which they are secured byrivets j, passing through the clips and through the ears.

The conductorA is not permanently secured by soldering or the like intogrooves formed in the under edges of the ears J, as set forth. andclaimed in my Patent No. 331,585, but ismerely. held up against theunderside or groove of said ears, which may be grooved or not, (groovedis better,) as desired. When the clips have been secured in position theconductor is entirely supported thereby. The

ear J is also provided with a very effective means of insulation, thesame comprising a hard rubber, wooden, or other sheath K, placed uponthe exterior of the cross-wire and inserted in a transverse tubularextension L, formed integral with the body of the ear J. The insulator Kshould project far enough from the ear J on both sides thereof toprevent current escaping therefrom to the cross-wire during wet weather.7

In attaching the supply-conductors A to their sustaining devices, twomethods maybe practiced, the one being shown in detail in Fig. 2, and inwhich the conductor A is clipped to the part D, after which the part Dis screwed into or otherwise attached to the insulator F, which is thenplaced in position and secured by the set-screws f. As seen in Fig. 5,for example, the cars J may be first placed in position upon thecross-wire and the conductor then placedin position by bending the clipsaround it and then riveting or bolting the said clip to the. ears, asindicated. By this means the troublesome and difficult process ofsoldering or brazing is entirely dispensed With,'and a very strong,durable, and inexpensive support provided.

Various changes and modifications maybe IIO made in thehereinbefore-mentioned devices without departing from the invention, andI therefore do not limit myself to the precise details of constructionand arrangement set forth.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s-

1. A support. for suspended bare electric conductors, comprising asupport sustained above the conductor and a thin metal clip formed withsloping edges and extending under the conductor and secured to saidsupport.

2. A support for suspended bare electric conductors, comprising asupport sustained above andgrooved to receive the upper side of theconductor, a thin metal clip or clips, having sloping extremities andpassing around under the conductor and secured to the support, therebysustaining the conductor in working position.

3. A support for suspended bare electric conductors, comprising aninsulated support to carry the conductor, and a thin metallic clip orclips formed with sloping extremities and extending under andembracingthe lower side of the conductor and detachably secured to the support.

4. The combination of a bare conductor, an insulated support above theconductor, a cross-wire connected to said support but in sulatedtherefrom, and a thin metal clip or clips having sloping edges andsecured to the support and extending under the conductor.

5. Ihe combination of a bare conductor, an insulated support above theconductor, a cross-wire connected to said support but insulatedtherefrom, and a thin metal clip or clips having sloping edges anddetachably connected to the support and extending under and sustainingthe conductor.

6. A support for bare suspended conductors, comprising an inverted archhaving a'recess at its upper portion, a protected insulated body adaptedto be removably secured in said recess, and means for connecting aconductorsupport to the said insulating body.

7. A support for bare working-conductors, comprising an inverted archcrossing the conductor and formed with an inverted recess in its upperportion, a detachable insulator sustained in said recess, and means,substantially as described, for securing the conductor to thedetachable. insulator.

8. A support for a bare suspendedconductcross wire or Wires extendingfrom the ex-.

tremity orextremities of the suspending devices to supports along theline of way.

10. An insulator for suspended-conductor supports, comprising a body ofhard refract ory material of high insulating capacity, having aconductor-sustaining device embedded therein, and provided also with anexterior protection of softmetal, substantially as described.

11. The combination, with the supports, of a pair of adjacent conductorsof opposite polarity, of an insulated metallic connection comprising aflexible metallicband or wire coated with insulating material andconnected to form a link between the adjacent extremities of theconductor-supporting devices.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES J. VAN DEPOELE.

Witnesses:

J OHN W. GIBBONEY, W. J. PLUMSTEAD.

